Volume 7, Number 6—December 2001
Dispatch
Malaria in Illegal Chinese Immigrants, Italy
Alberto Matteelli*
, Alberto Volonterio†, Maurizio Gulletta*, Laura Galimberti‡, Stefania Maroccolo, Giovanni Gaiera¶, Gloria Giani#, Maurizio Rossi**, Nicoletta Dorigoni††, Luca Bellina*, Giovanna Orlando#, Zeno Bisoffi§, and Francesco Castelli*
, Alberto Volonterio†, Maurizio Gulletta*, Laura Galimberti‡, Stefania Maroccolo, Giovanni Gaiera¶, Gloria Giani#, Maurizio Rossi**, Nicoletta Dorigoni††, Luca Bellina*, Giovanna Orlando#, Zeno Bisoffi§, and Francesco Castelli*Table
Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 22 Chinese immigrants with malaria in Italy
| No. | Sex,age (yrs) | Origin | Countries visited | Day/mo of initial visit | Malaria species | Parasite density | Days until hospital dxa | Clinical signs & symptoms | Treatment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M, 24 | Na | Pakistan | 1/7 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 2 | F, 20 | Na | Na | 3/7 | Pf | 15% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Mefloquine | Resolved |
| 3 | M, 26 | Na | Na | 3/7 | Pf | 15% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Mefloquine | Resolved |
| 4 | M, 20 | Zhe Jiang | Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, East Africa | 5/7 | Pf | <1% | 2 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 5 | M, 29 | Southern China | Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand | 5/7 | Pf | <1% | 1 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 6 | M, 23 | Na | Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya | 17/7 | Pf | 20% | 2 | Severe | Quinine + Doxycycline | Death |
| 7 | M, 19 | Zhe Jiang | Pakistan, Ivory Coast | 19/7 | Pf | 3% | 2 | Severe | Quinine + antifolics; transfusion | Resolved |
| 8 | M, 33 | Na | Pakistan | 20/7 | Pv | Nd2 | 0 | Nd3 | Chloroquine | Resolved |
| 9 | M, 23 | Na | Na | 20/7 | Pf | 2.5% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Mefloquine | Resolved |
| 10 | F, ? | Na | Pakistan | 21/7 | Pf | 20% | 3 | Severe | Quinine + Doxycycline Exchange transfusion | Resolved |
| 11 | M, 26 | Na | Na | 22/7 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine | Self discharged |
| 12 | M, 28 | Na | Tanzania | 22/7 | Pf | 11% | 4 | Severe | Quinine + Clindamicin | Resolved |
| 13 | F, 28 | Na | Na | 26/7 | Pf + Po | 10% | 3 | Severe | Quinine + Doxycycline Primaquine | Resolved |
| 14 | M, 24 | Zhe Jiang | Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, East Africa | 27/7 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 15 | M, 25 | Zhe Jiang | Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, East Africa | 28/7 | Pf | 15% | 8 | Severe | Quinine + Doxycycline Exchange transfusion | Neurologic sequelae |
| 16 | M, 22 | Zhe Jiang | East Africa | 28/7 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine | Resolved |
| 17 | M, 18 | Na | Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ivory Coast, France | 2/8 | Pf | <1% | 1 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 18 | F, 19 | Southern China | Kenya | 6/8 | Pf | 1% | 11 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 19 | M, 29 | Na | Pakistan | 7/8 | Pf | 1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 20 | F, 24 | Zhe Jiang | Ivory Coast | 6/9 | Pf | 17% | 2 | Severe | Quinine + Doxycycline Exchange transfusion | Resolved |
| 21 | M, 29 | Southern China | Pakistan, Ivory Coast | 11/9 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Quinine + Doxycycline | Resolved |
| 22 | M, 18 | Na | Cameroon | 15/11 | Pf | <1% | 0 | Uncomplicated | Mefloquine | Resolved |
A value of 0 indicates diagnosis on the day of admission.
F = female; M = male; dx = diagnosis; mo = month; Na = not assessed; Nd = not determined in a case of Plasmodium vivax infection; Pv = P. vivax; Pf = P. falciparum; Po = P. ovale.
